The present invention relates broadly to apparatus for lifting and moving hospital patients within the hospital environment and, more specifically, to a patient transport and care apparatus for use when transporting human or animal hospitalized patients in a hospital environment without significant imposition on the patient.
Under many circumstances, a hospital stay means loss of mobility for some patients, dependent on the nature of their respective medical problems. Patients who have experienced loss of mobility present a unique problem for hospital personnel when faced with patient movement and other patient functions. Functions normally performed relying on the patient's locomotion include weight measurement and general movement throughout the hospital environment, typically associated with medical testing procedures. Additionally, for those unfortunate enough to be delivered to the hospital emergency room, transportation must be arranged between the emergency room and operating rooms or patient care rooms.
Currently, two general methods are used to transport patients in a hospital environment, both of which involve imposing on the patient who may experience discomfort, pain or worse by being manually manipulated by hospital personnel. First, the patient may be transported on a wheeled platform such as a bed. Secondly, the patient may be transported on a stretcher or gurney. Several disadvantages exist with these current methods of patient
Perhaps the most significant, and most often overlooked, disadvantage to patient transport requiring manual manipulation is the health related effects on the attendant care provider, whether a nurse, doctor, orderly or volunteer. Ironically, the industry with the highest number of back injuries is the health care industry which is the third largest employer in the United States, employing approximately 10,533,000 people--approximately one out of every 11 members of the American work force. It should be neither shocking nor surprising that health care settings are among the most hazardous places to work, given the level of biomedical hazards throughout the hospital environment. What may be unexpected is the high level of biomechanical stress induced on hospital personnel by manual lifting and transferring patients.
Several studies have concluded that these tasks are the most recognizable cause of biomechanical stress in health care personnel, with the majority of the biomechanical stress imposed on health care personnel causing back injury. As may be expected, such back injury can shorten the careers of health care personnel, as well as increasing worker compensation claims, causing rising insurance rates and increasing absenteeism within the industry. Further, such back problems must be treated, thereby increasing the work load on the non-injured health care personnel to treat and care for the members of their own industry injured on the job. Unique to the health care industry is that treatment for on-the-job injuries is provided within the affected industry. Therefore, the impact of on-the-job injuries within the health care industry is greater than the mere loss of personnel. Accordingly, as on-the-job injuries mount, the effect on the entire industry is magnified. Conversely, any reduction of on-the-job injury provides benefits which are also magnified with respect to other industries. It is therefore even more crucial, from a strictly pragmatic viewpoint, to provide a safe environment for health care personnel than with other industries. Aside from the moral obligation of providing a safe work environment, real monetary benefits result from safety enhancement in the form of stress reduction throughout the industry, less absenteeism, lower insurance rates, increased time available for other patients, and longer careers among health care personnel.
Since lower back injury has been identified as the most recognizable cause of on-the-job injury within the health care environment, it would be logical to target the reduction of back injury as a primary goal in worker safety within the health care industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of over 100,000 cases involved in overexertion or excess biomechanical stress in the health care industry, over 60,000 involved lifting. While the problem has not gone unrecognized, solutions tend to involve techniques employable by personnel rather than equipment.
In theory, the techniques employed for lifting and transport can reduce the chance of injury. Nevertheless, the problem of lifting a patient is not merely one of overcoming significant mass under the force of gravity. The patient's physical condition, including overall shape, deformities, and other physical impairments, may affect the way a transfer can be carried out. Further, some patients can be uncooperative, combative, or even violent. In addition, the violence may manifest itself suddenly, requiring extra effort on behalf of the hospital personnel. Therefore, optimum body postures as advocated with lifting techniques cannot always be assumed due to the aforesaid patient problems as well as space limitations, equipment handling and furniture interference. As is often the case, reality can overwhelm even the most finely honed learned techniques.
Accordingly, there exists a need for equipment which can reduce the chance of back injury to health care personnel. Since patient lifting and transporting is a primary cause of back injury, it would follow that the ideal choice for such equipment would be a patient lifting and transport apparatus. Further, such an apparatus could be enhanced by reducing the intrusion upon the patient, thereby reducing the effect of patient gyrations upon health care personnel.